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Much has changed in the 20 years since B.C. introduced its Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act — and technological change has left privacy advocates grappling with issues that were unheard of when the act was first introduced.

At one time, people worried about public videos — CCTV capturing them on camera in public spaces. Now it could be their neighbours, their friends, their colleagues capturing their activities on cameras embedded in glasses, on watches or tiny lapel buttons.

Twenty years ago YouTube hadn’t been created, Facebook had yet to be launched, and when police turned to citizens to help solve crime, they had mug shots on posters — not Twitter posts and Facebook photos.

The iPhone didn’t exist. Now, 46 per cent of adult Canadians use a smartphone, with cameras and Internet connections that let them shoot video and photos, and post information from wherever they are.

But technology can be a double-edged sword. We may choose to share personal data, but what about the data we don’t realize is being shared?

B.C’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner is hosting a conference Thursday and Friday — Privacy and Access 20/20: A New Vision for Information Rights — that will bring together privacy experts from across Canada and around the world to discuss such issues. The conference looks back at privacy issues over the past 20 years and forward to future reforms.

The Vancouver Sun’s Gillian Shaw looks at some recent innovations and some causes for concern.

Google Glass

At a whopping $1,500 for the developer version — and with just 10,000 units in use today, all in the United States except for those early adopters in Canada who flew south to pick up their Google Glass at Google headquarters in California — it’s not likely you’ll find the guy next to the bar snapping your photo with that device. However, they soon will go mainstream and privacy commissioners across Canada have joined their international counterparts in calling on Google chief executive Larry Page to meet to discuss their privacy concerns. Fears of ubiquitous surveillance, the surreptitious collection of information, and the safeguarding of data collected by Glass are just some of their concerns.

Recon Jet

A sports version of a wearable computer, the Recon Jet is the brainchild of a Vancouver company that has already introduced the technology in goggles for skiing and snowboarding. It plans to ship the new Jet next March. It has an HD camera for stills and videos and it pairs with iPhones or Android phones, linking to the Internet for sharing online. Like Google Glass, it has third party apps, so the early capabilities are only a taste of what the devices may eventually be able to do.

Memoto Narrative Clip

Imagine taking a snapshot of your life every 30 seconds — and then storing it in a searchable database. That’s exactly what a Swedish company has done with a tiny wearable camera that automatically snaps photos twice a minute, storing them and making them shareable online. Just slightly larger than an iPod shuffle, the Narrative Clip snaps on a collar, or you can wear it on a pendant making it unobtrusive. Plus, its auto-shooting capability means you don’t have to give it a voice command or put your hand up to tap to get a photo as you do with Glass and the Jet.

Samsung Galaxy Gear

A Dick Tracy-like watch, the Gear has a tiny digital camera built into its strap. The camera can take still photos or 15-second video clips. While Samsung has ensured it still has the sound of a camera snapping a photo, it doesn’t take 007 to take a photo without raising a lot of attention — or having anyone notice at all.

B.C. services card

Twenty years ago, your driver’s licence could have revealed whether you were wanted by the police. Today, a card in your wallet can link to everything from your unpaid traffic ticket to your medical records. If bus passes, credit cards and other services are added — as has been envisioned in a model that could see the B.C. Services Card become part of a “digital wallet” — the card could become like a diary tracking your daily life. Convenience like that might be desirable, but privacy advocates want to ensure you’re not giving up your privacy rights in exchange for that convenience.

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Technological gadgets may be fun, but privacy advocates warn they carry a hidden price

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